By Connect Mason Director Whitney Rhodes
Photo by Connect Mason Multimedia Director Grace Kendall

Can't afford the airfare to Denver? Don't worry. Mason's keeping the poor Patriot fan in mind with several watch parties featuring the first round NCAA tournament game against Notre Dame.

• Check back tomorrow for play-by-play NCAA action.
• Add your own game thoughts, analysis, photos, videos and audio by emailing Connect Mason here.

The Johnson Center Atrium and Bistro, as well as the Corner Pocket game room and Damon's in Student Union I will open to basketball fans at 9:15 p.m. on Thursday, March 18, according to Sandy Hubler, vice president of University Life.

These venues will air the 9:40 p.m. game and toss out giveaways.

By Connect Mason Director Whitney Rhodes and Sports Director Damien Sordelett

Take some time to freshen up on your Patriots' player trivia before you paint yourself green and jump in that four-door lunker to chase down a NCAA dream.

Click here.

By Connect Mason Reporter Mike Foss

The Mason men's basketball team departed for Denver, Colo. on Tuesday where Notre Dame awaits to play them in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday. Over a hundred fans and several major TV networks in the Metropolitan area attended the team's departure from the Patriot Center.

Mason comes into the NCAA Tournament a 12-seed, while Notre Dame is a 5-seed. The 5 vs. 12 game is prone to a 12-seed upset. No. 5-seeds are only 11-9 in the past five years. The last time Mason faced an opponent from the Big East in the NCAA Tournament was in 2006, when they defeated the University of Connecticut in the Regional Final.

WGMU Rocks the Bistro, a concert featuring local hard rock band Numa, will take place tonight in the Bistro, from 9 to 11 p.m.

WGMU, Mason's student radio station, holds this event at least once every semester. The radio station will also be giving out prizes and promoting the upcoming Mason Day in April.

By Connect Mason Reporter Brittany Rouse

As St. Patrick's Day came to a close, the number of students clad in green slowly gave way to those donning band shirts in anticipation of tonight's Taste of Chaos tour.

The tour's title was not far off from its results.

• See the bands and fans in their element.

Music filled the Patriot Center from 5 p.m. till well after 10 p.m. Headlining the tour were Avenged Sevenfold, Atreyu and Bullet for My Valentine, followed by smaller bands such as Count Your Blessings, Bless the Fall and D'espairsRay. This leg of the tour featured nine bands, each playing a set between 20-30 minutes long.

The opening band, Count Your Blessings, brought a lot of energy to the crowd; which started small but grew significantly as the night went on. The group hailed from Waldorf, MD and sounded much like a younger version of the band Chiodos. The next few bands added to the excitement, with performances by D'espairsay, MUCC and The Underneath.

By the middle of the night it was clear that the majority of fans had come to see Bullet for My Valentine. Playing a new song from their January album release, the lead singer described their material as "speed metal." The crowd's more aggressive fans started large circle pits and every few minutes a crowd surfer would make it to the front, only to be helped down by security and sent to the back of the mass of people. Bless the Fall played next, putting on an excellent set that included the lead singer leaping into the crowd twice.

Finally, it was time for the two most brutal bands of the tour. As Atreyu came out, fans went wild and started moshing even before the first note was played. The entire crowd sang along as the band played a song called "Falling Down," and when the lead singer demanded a massive circle pit, he was not disappointed. Soon after, the paramedics that were standing by were busy with many fans sporting bloody noses and other ailments.

The last band, Avenged Sevenfold, did not take the stage until about 9:45. They put on an intense set, which was well deserved to a crowd that had waited over four hours to see the headlining band.

By Connect Mason Reporter Rachael Dickson

For a second time this semester, the Mason Alert system reported that the 911 phone service for the George Mason Police was down, this time for nearly an hour last Saturday.

According to campus police, the non-emergency lines to the police station were still in service. Students were able to reach a 911 dispatcher at the Fairfax County Police Department via their cell phone if needed.

“We were troubleshooting a couple problems on Saturday,” said Doris Rollins, the Manager of Telecom Administration. “To say what specifically happened at that time would be difficult -- there were several things going on.”

Rollins did not rule out the possibility of problems occurring again.

“These are not planned occurrences,” Rollins said. “There have been some changes in the routing to accommodate them, but these are issues that are difficult to troubleshoot. These are not things we go in and change randomly.”

By Connect Mason Sports Director Damien Sordelett
Photo by Connect Mason Multimedia Director Grace Kendall
Video by Connect Mason Director Whitney Rhodes

The Patriots will enter the tournament as the No. 12 seed in the East region against fifth-seeded Notre Dame on Thursday in Denver. The winner of that matchup will compete against the winner of the game between No. 4 Washington St. and No. 13 Winthrop.

• Check out our photo gallery from the NCAA Bracket rally at Mason!

• See this ESPN video that breaks down the East Region bracket.

Patriots' fans packed the Johnson Center on Sunday evening to find out where they would be heading to watch Mason's 2008 contest in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.

The feeling was almost akin to 2006 when raucous students packed the Johnson Center to watch George Mason reel off four straight wins to capture the nation's attention.

Mason's tournament resume was shaky prior to the CAA Tournament, alternating wins and losses for the past eight games of the regular season. However, that all changed with the CAA Tournament and the three straight wins that locked up the automatic birth.

Story and Photo Provided By Robert Vay, Special Collections & Archives, University Libraries

This Week in Mason History flashes back to campus life in March of 1972.

At that time, the name “George Mason University” was only a few weeks old. Technically, the school was called “George Mason College of the University of Virginia” until April 7 when Governor A. Linwood Holton signed a bill passed earlier in the Virginia Legislature officially separating Mason from UVa. However, many Mason officials, including Chancellor, Lorin A. Thompson, began using the new name in March.

Mason’s Fairfax campus consisted of seven buildings: Finley, East, West, South (now known as Krug), Academic II (now known as Thompson), the Lecture Hall, and Fenwick Library. The P.E. Building was under construction. Students, faculty, and staff voted on a new official seal for Mason from twenty different designs displayed in the pages of Broadside on March 20.

George Mason had a North Campus on Lee Highway (the former Fairfax High School and currently Paul VI High). North campus served as extra space for classes, athletic events (until the completion of the P.E. building), and food service.

As for March Madness, well it’s safe to say that it really wasn’t the same as it is here this week. On March 6, Broadside raved “Patriots Wrap Up Best Season Ever” as they finished 13-17 for the 1971-72 season. The program, which first began intercollegiate play in 1968 under the name the “Mason Marauders,” shocked some as they finished second in the 1972 Potomac Intercollegiate Conference Tournament and racked up quality wins against teams such as Frostburg State, Saint Mary’s, and Coppin State Colleges.

By Connect Mason Convergence Director Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson

If you don’t feel like reading, I’ll hand this off to Stephen Colbert for a wrap up of the week starting March 10, 2008. Even if you wanted to read, I’d recommend watching anyway, if only to hear about how Colbert becomes the “meat” in Eliot Spitzer’s prostitution sandwich.

Oh, and another visually-orientated Weekly Wrap Up for those who would consider themselves “word-shy.”

And, still, if you don’t feel much like reading, the Daily Show had a wonderful segment titled You're Not Helping, focusing on the scandals plaguing the democratic hopefuls: Geraldine Ferraro’s comments about what Barack Obama’s prospects would be like if he were a white man and the much-debated sermon of Jeremiah Wright, Obama’s pastor of 20 years, featuring the now infamous line, “God damn the United States. That’s in the Bible.”

The Daily Show also offered a glimmer of hope for future female presidential candidates if Senator Clinton is not able to secure the nomination this year. Kristen Schaal’s inspired Dear Madame President describes the “300-year sausage fest” that is upon us if Clinton is not victorious.

In closing, and in the deepest respect, Kurt Vonnegut discusses the evolution of America’s democracy, and how Iraq, being given the gift of American Democracy, is about on track.

RIP Mr. Vonnegut. You are sorely missed.

By Connect Mason News Director Elizabeth Stern

To get ready for the Job and Internship Fair hosted by Career Services coming on March 19 and 20, Career Services will be holding an Employer Resume Clinic Monday, March 17 in JC Room 116 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. to help you improve your resume and highlight your skills.

With about 200 organizations and companies expected to attend the fair, having a good resume can make or break your potential for getting hired. It is a common mistake for job applicants to present disorganized and lackluster resumes without even realizing it. Slip-ups like writing a resume that extends beyond a page, includes irrelevant material or touts your high school Scrabble club leadership position will inevitably cost you.

There will also be a Job Fair Prep workshop taking place March 18 from 4:30 to 5:30 in JC Room A to provide further and more comprehensive assistance.

If you cannot attend either event, Career Services is available to help you with a resume or any other questions. To make an appointment, e-mail them at careerhp@gmu.edu or call: (703)993-2370. A Job Fair 411 DVD is also available in the Career Services Office, located in SUB I Room 348.

By Mason Blogger Ryan Kish

So Mason pulled it off, they really did it. Despite most of the fans feeling a CAA tournament championship was all but impossible I had a feeling we would see the team's best basketball in Richmond. And even though the Mason bookstore is already screwing up new t-shirt designs, you have to feel confident about this team if your a fan. Enough of this "who will be this year's George Mason" talk, this guys can make noise again just like they did two years ago.

• Check back for a week-long look at Mason's 2008 run to the NCAA.
• Drop by the Johnson Center on Sunday, March 16 at 5:30 to celebrate the NCAA bracket release with Coach Larranaga, Gunston and the Patriots.
• Watch ESPN footage of the end of last Monday's Richmond game.
• Read more.

Speaking of two years ago, current bracketology has us matched up with UConn in the first round, wouldn't that be interesting. But I would not put too much stock into that because it will most likely change 5 more times before tomorrow afternoon.

The Patriots will most likely be 12 or 13 seed and with that in mind I see some potential 4 or 5 seed teams they would be able to handle in the first round. Teams like Butler and Drake come to mind as they are fellow mid-majors but I also would say Notre Dame and Michigan State also come to mind. Also teams led by stellar freshman also don't have the best track record in the tournament so that would factor in teams like Indiana. Predicting the seeding is always impossible because the selection committee always has a few surprises and we were one of them in 2006.

Read more from Kish's George Mason Basketball blog.

By Connect Mason Sports Director Damien Sordelett
Photos by Broadside Photographer Mahmoud Lababidi

RICHMOND – Cinderella’s last-second magic potion seemed to vanish from the William & Mary Tribe after they entered the locker room just moments after cutting George Mason’s lead to one point.

Instead, that magic went back to a locker room that knows every little bit about March magic.

• SENIORS RISE: Now it's Campbell and Thomas' turn to lead the Patriots.

The George Mason Patriots (23-10) used a 9-0 run to open the second half and captured their first CAA championship since 2001 with a 68-59 victory before 9,122 Monday night at the Richmond Coliseum.

“It caps off this senior class, that’s all we wanted,” said Will Thomas, who scored 18 points, pulled down 13 rebounds and was named to the all-tournament team. “This is what we came here to do: win the championship and get to the NCAA tournament.”

That this group of players did. On a night when the attention was on upset-minded William & Mary’s (17-16) bid to defeat the two teams predicted to finish in the top spots in the conference (GMU and VCU), the Patriots used the extra day of rest to their full advantage.

“They had to play four straight days, you lose your legs a little bit as the game wears on,” George Mason coach Jim Larranaga said.

The Tribe made things interesting at the end of the first half when Laimis Kisielius made a jumper right before time ran out to cut Mason’s lead to 27-26.

Then, the second half began. Folarin Campbell hit a 3-pointer that capped off a half-opening 9-0 run that gave Mason a double-digit lead and a working margin that would hold for the remainder of the game.

“It put us in a tough spot because they’re so explosive offensively. We needed, if possible, to play in the lead today,” William & Mary coach Tony Shaver said. “Our legs weren’t completely with us tonight and it’s tough to come from behind in the fourth day. It was very difficult to play from behind tonight.”

Though the Tribe were tired and worn down, the Patriots still had to focus on what was emphasized the entire tournament.

“We came here with the mindset that it really isn’t all about the offense. It’s so important that your defense be your consistent part of your game,” Larranaga said.

Campbell, who was named tournament most outstanding player, scored a team-high 20 points and hit 9 of 10 from the free throw line.

Kisielius led all scorers with 22 points. David Schneider added 12 for the Tribe.

(U-WIRE) This story was written by Joseph Yerardi, Washington Square News

Americans are the second most undersexed people in the world, according to a survey released last week.

Only 53 percent of American adults report having sex at least once a week, higher only than Japan's 34 percent and 14 percent lower than the global average. The Greeks lead the way with 87 percent.

The Durex Sexual Wellbeing Global Survey, which compiled 26,000 interviews in 26 countries, was conducted online by market research company Harris Interactive on behalf of London-based SSL International, manufacturers of the condom brand Durex.

Read the full article here

By Connect Mason Sports Director Damien Sordelett
First photo by Broadside Photographer Mahmoud Lababidi
Second photo by Broadside Asst. Photography Editor Laura Foltz

RICHMOND – Achilles probably could never say that his weakness was this powerful.

George Mason’s thorn in its side this year has been the UNC-Wilmington Seahawks, a team that plays a scrambling defense that attacks strengths and exposes weaknesses.

• Read our live Twitter feed of tonight's game for the latest plays as they happen.
• Read more.

The second half of Sunday’s CAA semifinal match-up would be no different. However, a way to overcome that weakness was found in the first half and proved to be the ultimate weapon.

George Mason (22-10) shot 54 percent for the first half and was able to withstand UNC-Wilmington holding them to just 29 percent in the second half in a 53-41 victory Sunday night that advanced the Patriots to the CAA championship game.

“Our effort was good enough to win the game but our execution wasn’t,” UNC-Wilmington coach Benny Moss said. “In the first half, we gave up entirely too many easy shots, therefore they shot a good percentage and developed a working margin. We just couldn’t score the basketball to really get over the hump.”

The Patriots built a 31-25 lead at the half, led by eight points apiece from Louis Birdsong and Dre Smith. The scoring allowed the Patriots to set up their defense to slow down the Seahawks (20-13), who hit just 36 percent of their shots in the first half.

“We were able to kind of control the game with our defense. Very, very nice hard-fought victory,” George Mason coach Jim Larranaga said.

That included holding the Seahawks to just 22 percent shooting in the second half, including 2-of-15 from 3-point range. The Seahawks' poor shooting was a sign of how much Larranaga and his staff have emphasized defense to this squad.

“We held them to 28 percent [shooting] today, so we were just playing some really good defense and that wins championships,” said Folarin Campbell, who scored a team-high 15 points.

What also was a key factor for Mason and will help them win the CAA championship is the play of their bench. Chris Fleming for the second straight night scored six points and filled in valiantly when Will Thomas was on the bench.

“Halfway through the year, we kind of struggled on the bench,” Fleming said. “I feel like now we are starting to step up, and all three of us are trying to do whatever we can to help the starters and let them have a break.”

Cam Long played 32 minutes off the bench, much in part to an injury to Smith in the latter stages of the first half. Smith did not return in the second half, but is likely to play Monday night against William & Mary.

“I think tournament play is all about everyone rising to the occasion, it can’t be one guy, two guys, it can’t be just your seniors, you got to have everybody contributing,” Larranaga added.

Louis Birdsong was the only other Patriot to score in double figures with 10 points.

With a bench that has come alive in the tournament and with the way the defense has stepped up, Mason is on the threshold of a place where many counted them out after a loss to Ohio: the NCAA Tournament.

“Every team knows that when the season begins that everybody’s goal is get to the Big Dance. We’ve moved one step closer to that,” said Larranaga.

Notes: William & Mary defeated VCU in the other semifinal match-up. The championship game is scheduled for 7 p.m. on ESPN. Will Thomas had another quiet night with six points, but controlled the boards with 14 rebounds. The Seahawks were led by T.J. Carter's 16 points.

By Connect Mason Sports Director Damien Sordelett
Photos by Broadside Photographer Mahmoud Lababidi

RICHMOND – It began to look too much like other road games. Build a big lead, head into halftime feeling good and then, somehow, have the game slip right out of reach.

In this new season, the George Mason Patriots knew not to let anything like that happen again.

Folarin Campbell scored 20 points and Will Thomas scored 17 points as George Mason (21-10) defeated the Northeastern Huskies 63-52 in the quarterfinals of the CAA Tournament.

With the Patriots clinging to a 54-49 lead with 2:19 remaining after a Matt Janning putback, Dre Smith hit a jumper and Campbell hit 7-of-8 from the free throw line to ice the game for Mason.

“I want the ball in my hands at the end of the game and I got to go there and knock it down,” said Campbell, who hit 10 of his 13 free throw attempts for the game. “I’m mad I missed that one free throw.”

That one free throw would not matter as Mason held Northeastern (14-17) to just 36 percent shooting for the game and all-CAA performer Janning to just 10 points.

“We haven’t been an offensive juggernaut all year long. In order for us to score, we need Matt Janning to score,” Northeastern coach Bill Coen said. “I thought Mason did a terrific job of playing him. It was their extra attention that made the difference.”

Defense was the difference, as the Patriots played with more urgency than in previous contests. However, that was put to the test as Mason was called for an uncanny 15 fouls in the second half, something that almost came back to haunt the Patriots.

“We have to take responsibility for the way we play defense,” George Mason coach Jim Larranaga said. “To start the second half, we made a number of poor decisions trying to reach. When we didn’t foul them, we guarded them well.”

The added fouls allowed the Huskies to use a 17-6 run that initially cut the lead to six at 43-37 with a little under 10 1/2-minutes left in the second half.

That final run would be futile thanks to a slow start for the Huskies. Mason pulled away in the latter stages of the first half, closing it on a 24-9 run that saw the lead balloon to 13.

“Coming out, we wanted to be aggressive and going inside and penetrating the zone,” said Thomas, who finished with eight rebounds. “Working the ball around, sharing the ball and trying to get the shot we want.”

Chaisson Allen and Eugene Spates led the Huskies with 11 points each.

By Connect Mason Sports Director Damien Sordelett
Photos by Broadside Asst. Photography Editor Laura Foltz

Updated: Mason's media personalities win an award. In the player of the year and most annoying fans categories, Mason placed a respectable second. See more below.

RICHMOND - The Green Machine, George Mason University's pep band, won the 2008 CAAZone.com "Zonies" award for best pep band, beating out the VCU pep band.

• See the Green Machine in action.
• Click here for info on Mason's first CAA win.
• Read our live Twitter feed of tonight's game for the latest plays as they happen.

The award, which was voted on by posters on CAAZone.com, a forum for fans of the Colonial Athletic Association, came as an upset after an intense voting period that received attention from major media outlets such as the Washington Post.

The CAAZone has held this award ceremony for three years at the Richmond Coliseum in conjunction with the CAA Tournament. This is the seventh year that the awards have been given out.

Other awards: Mason radio announcers Bill Rohland and Rick Wilson were awarded the media personalities of the year.

No other Mason player or group won an award, but came close in several categories. Will Thomas came in second in men's player of the year, finishing behind Eric Maynor of VCU. Though Old Dominion's fan base won the most annoying fans of the year, Mason finished a respectable second in that category.

By Connect Mason Sports Director Damien Sordelett

RICHMOND - Following a 73-55 victory over James Madison Friday, the Northeastern Huskies will face George Mason on Saturday in the quarterfinals of the CAA Tournament.

The game, scheduled to tip-off at 8:30 p.m. at the Richmond Coliseum, will feature two teams that split their two games this season.

Mason won at home on Jan. 12 convincingly 80-52. In that game, John Vaughan scored 16 and Dre Smith added 14 as the Patriots blew out the Huskies.

However, in the regular season finale, Northeastern used 27 points from Matt Janning to throttle the Patriots 70-59.

Look for the Patriots to have their full attention on Janning and try to use ball movement to keep the Huskies on their heels. Will Thomas needs to have a big game down low to be able to keep the tempo to Mason's liking.

Check Connect Mason this weekend for CAA Tournament coverage.

By Mason Blogger Emily Culley

Saturday, March 8, 2008: Free show at the Bistro (bottom level of the Johnson Center)

The show starts around 6:30 p.m., is completely free for anyone (student, faculty, random person roaming the JC for no reason) and is set to continue until midnight.

The show is featuring five different bands mainly from the Fairfax/Washington D.C. area, with one band from New York.

Dark Sea Dream, who describe themselves as "Psychedelic/Experimental/Zouk." Zouk is defined as, "a style of dance music that originated in Guadeloupe and Martinique, featuring Caribbean rhythms over a disco beat and played with electric guitars and synthesizers," by dictionary.com. The band only has two songs feature on their MySpace, though the songs feature a enjoyable fusion of many styles of music, proving that maybe it's a good thing to revive disco beats?

Say No! To Architecture, describe themselves as "experimental, ambient, psychedelic," on their MySpace. Though the bulk of their music could be easily mistaken for noise, the band weaves beautiful harmonies in between the noisy stanzas. Say No! To Architecture's tone is the type of music that tells epic stories through their intricate use of noise and static.

Hume, describes himself (and sometimes themselves?) as "Regional Mexican," whatever that means. Though you may try to, it's hard to stop yourself from becoming consumed by Hume's mix of voice overs, experimental instrumentations, and awkward lyrical work. It somehow works in their favor.

Micah Shot A Hole in the Sky, describes himself as "experimental/ambient/folk." I have to admit that this is the favorite of the five bands. I am not normally one for instrumental music, though there is something magical about it. The songs have an extremely beautiful flow from beginning to ending, additionally, there is an obvious admiration for space, time, and infinite possibilities within the songs.

Telegraph (Cloud drop in jars, azure), who describes himself as "classical opera and vocal/healing and easy-listening/acousmatic/tape music," in addition to textural meditation. I think "textural meditation" sums up the sound of the band better than the five, plus other genres. While listening to the music I found myself drifting in and out of different moods as the songs progressed.

Judging from the songs available on their MySpace pages, I have to admit that there is a lot more to instrumental and experimental music than I originally imagined.

Read more blog entries by Culley at Turning Up the Volume

By Connect Mason Director Whitney Rhodes
Video by Connect Mason Video Director Scott Williams

Calling all comedians. DC Improv is coming to Mason Friday night, March 7, in its search for the funniest college comedian in the Metro area. The fifth annual District's Funniest College Competition will take place from 9-11 p.m. in the Johnson Center Atrium.

• VIDEO: Keep reading to hear Mark Hendricks talk about his fifth time competing in the District's Funniest.

The event selects one to two winners from participating colleges in the Metro area to continue on to the finals competition on April 16, and finally, a paid gig hosted by DC Improv.

The preliminary competitions consist of eight to ten students. Each aspiring comedian will perform a five minute stand-up routine.

Last year, Mason's Taylor Edgar won the District's Funniest finals, according to DC Standup. Mason junior Mark Hendricks hopes to follow in his footsteps, starting with tomorrow's performance.

Listen to Mark Hendricks, a Mason junior and paid comedian, joke about the routine he planned for tomorrow's competition.

• American University
• George Washington University
• University of Maryland
• Variety School Showcase at The DC Improv
• Johns Hopkins University
• Georgetown University

Compiled by Connect Mason Multimedia Director Grace Kendall, News Director Elizabeth Stern

• Click here to see what Mason's planning for Spring Break.